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(No Model.)

L. H. PAGE. EGG CARRIER.

No. 445,074. Patented Jan. 20, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI H. PAGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGXOR TO THE GARDEN CITY FILLERCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

EGG-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,074, dated January20, 1891.

Application filed March 3, 1890. Serial No. 342.333- (No mo'leL To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI H. PAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers for Eggs,Fruit, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon which form part of thisspecification.

My present invention relates to improvements in the construction ofcarriers for the packing or transportation of eggs, fruit, &c., whereinslats or strips of wood or other suitable material are operative] yarranged to form subdivisions or series of separate compartments for thereception individually of the articles to be packed or transported, theinvention consisting in certain improvements in the slat or stripinterlocking devices whereby the construction is securely held together,thedurability ofthesameis enhanced, and the form primarily given theretois maintained, together with a certain other improvement in constructionwhich enables the folding of the carrier into compact shape for storageor shipment to better advantage and with greater safety to theconstruction than is ordinarily the case with carriers of similar class.

The objects of the invention are attained by the means shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an enlarged broken detailin perspective mainly intended to illustrate the form and operativearrangement of the interlocking devices. Fig. 2 is a View in perspectiveof a complete carrier embodying my several improvements, the view beingin part broken away for the purpose of showing the interior of thecarrier and the intersecting arrangement of the slats or strips to formthe subdivisions. Fig. 3 is a plan view intended to illustrate theadvantage attained by the employment of my said improvements whichrelate to the folding of the carrier for storage or shipment.

Referring to the details of construction and arrangement shown in theseveral above-described Views, A indicates the strips which form theouter portion or frame of the carrier,

B strips disposed in one direction athwart the space formed by saidstrips A, and B narrower st rips located transverse said space andintersecting, in the manner hereinafter set forth, the said strips B.

The strips A are provided transverse their length with slots a a 'and atongue a, the free end of which is arranged to project to a pointdesirably in alignment with the lower portion of the slots a which isdesirablyin alignment with the upper portion of the slot a ,thedisposition of the several slots forming, laterally of the slot ashoulders a. (Fully shown in Fig. 1.)

The strips B are provided at proper distances in their length withtransverse slots b, of dimensions suitable for the passage therethroughof the transverse strips B.and attheir ends withoneor more tongues bproportioned to pass through the openings formed in the strip A by theslots a and by the deflection outwardly of the tongue a. The saidtongues b are provided in their lateral margins with notches b, of depthsubstantially in correspondence with the width of the respective slotsta the distance transverse the said tongues intermediate the notches bsubstantially corresponding with the length of the slots (L The mannerof interlocking the strips to form the carrier-frame is as follows: Thetongues I) being carried against the tongues c deflect the sameoutwardly, passing thereunder and through the slots until the notches Z)allow the said tongues b to drop into proper position within the slotsa, the notches b or the shoulders formed thereby embracing the shouldersa and locking the strips together infi one direction, while the tonguesa, secure the tongues 11 within the slots 0) in the other direction. Theshoulders formed in the tongues 11 by the notches b being operativelycontiguous to the strip A, aside from the interlocking purpose whichthey subserve, are of great utility in the mat ter of preventing thematerial of which the strips are composed from warping out of properform and therefore in the preservation of the integrity of theconstruction.

It will be noted thatin egg and fruit carrier constructions of the classto which my im provements relate the connecting of the strips has beenmaintained to the extent of interlocking the ends of the outside strips,which not only prevents the folding of the carrier into perfect com pactform, but under ordinary usage causes the ends of the strips, it at allweakened by the presence of interlocking devices, to be broken andtherefore rendered unfit or objectionable for use. To obviate suchdifficulties the strips A of my construction are interlocked with thestrips B B and not with each other, thus leaving their terminals 0 freeto occupy positions, as shown in Fig. 3, without the possibility ofunduly straining or damaging thesame when folded for transportation, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In carriers for fruit, eggs, &c., of the classherein described,the combination, with the outside longitudinal andtransverse strips having their edges adjacent to but not interlockedwith each other, said strips being formed with slots 0. a and tonguesCL, of the notched compartment-forming strips adapted to interlock withsaid outside strips.

2. In carriers for eggs, fruit, &c., wherein 'slats or strips areemployed to form series of outside and compartment-forming strips, saidoutside strips being interlocked or otherwise connected with thecompartment -forming strips and not connected or interlocked with eachother, all arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein described.

3. In carriers for fruit, eggs, &c., of the class herein described, thelongitudinal and transverse outside strips, said longitudinal stripsbeing unconnected with said transverse strips, in combination withlongitudinal and transverse compartment-forming strips, the ends of saidlongitudinal compartment-forming strips being secured to said transverseoutside strips and the ends of said transverse compartment-formingstrips being secured to said longitudinal outside strips.

mm H. PAGE.

\Vitnesses:

E. SALTSMAN, GEo. W. LEVIN.

